Dynamic Duo: Finery

June 8, 2018

Whitney Casey and Brooklyn Decker have made getting dressed (and shopping your closet) easier than ever with their wardrobe tool, FINERY. We met up with the duo in NYC to talk tech, style and friendship.

How did you first meet and begin working together?

We met on a blind-date-girlfriend-set-up-weekend! A mutual friend of ours really thought we would hit it off and we did! We were friends for many years before we started FINERY. We always wanted to work together, because we love each other’s sensibilities strengths and weaknesses. We complete we.

What inspired you to start FINERY?

We had a lot of bad ideas for companies before we started FINERY. We came up with the idea because we were using all kinds of software to help us cull our travel, banking, music, etc., but there was nothing available for our wardrobes – and a woman will spend more on her wardrobe than she does her education. We knew there needed to be something available for women to monitor what they have, what they spend and what they can make off of their clothes. There hadn’t been a lot of tech coming out of our closets, so we knew there was a major need here and if the software already existed to do these things for our banking, music and travel, then why didn’t it work for wardrobes?

Tell us how FINERY makes getting dressed (and shopping) easier:

When you have your entire wardrobe on your phone without having to lift a finger it makes deciding what to wear or pack a thing to do in between meetings, in a carpool or with friends. You no longer have to be sitting there in your closet full of clothes saying, “I have nothing to wear.” Also, having access to your real wardrobe while you are shopping for new things is key. You can finally see what you have while deciding what you want. And our newest feature will actually show you styled looks for the items you have in your wardrobe, so now you don't’ even have to think. Here’s how it works:

1. You buy something online.2. We automatically add it into your wardrobe.3. Depending on the item (we don’t do accessories), we send you 10 styled looks for your item.4. We’ll tell you when you need to return your item, so you don’t miss the deadline.5. We’ll also tell you when anything you’ve added to your shopping wishlist (all in one place on FINERY) goes on sale. 6. If you’re the creative type, you can make outfits and pack yourself with our in-closet outfit building tools!

Running a business together is like ...

Brooklyn: Having a baby together. Whitney: Having a friend friend who is also a work friend.

What do you love most about your jobs?

Brooklyn: Being able to ideate and see it in action quickly. Whitney: Being the underdog.

Best advice you’ve ever received about running a business?

Brooklyn: The people you work with are your lifelines, you are only as good and successful as they are. Whitney: When you decide to go for it on a startup idea...you need to have more than passion, you need to make sure it is your obsession.

What do you love most about working in the space where fashion meets tech?

Brooklyn:
Unlike Hollywood or media, where we both come from, fashion-tech has a
real underpinning of meritocracy. If you have a good idea and can
execute it, there is a community of other women cheering you on.

Whitney: It is full of smart, kickass women who are making big changes in the landscape for future women.

The pieces in your wardrobe you can’t live without:

Whitney and Brooklyn: Both Brooklyn and I don’t carry business cards but we got these “Jenny From the Block” earrings personalized on Canal Street that have FINERY on them. We call them our “spinners.” They are great conversation starters – it just happens because our earrings are the best marketing tool we’ve got. And if this tech thing doesn't’ work out, we can always pivot to selling personalized business logo earrings?

The apps you can’t live without:

Brooklyn: Finery, and Slack and...ummm...I’m the luddite of the two of us. I use my phone mostly to wipe the baby drool off and Facetime from the set! Whitney: Finery (duh,haha), InLieu (like Venmo for charity), Slack (for working with Brooklyn) and Strava (for runners and bikers).

How would you describe your personal style?

Brooklyn: I’m ⅓ peasant, ⅓ slob, ⅓ ladylike.Whitney: I always like for something to look a little off when it goes on! Not fit...but color, patterns etc.

If you weren’t working on Finery together, what would you be doing?

Brooklyn: I would be better at everything I already do (mom, wife, actor, friend, etc.) – hahaha!Whitney: DJ 4 Lyfe.

Shop the Look

On Whitney: Adora Dress

Who would play the two of you in a movie?

Brooklyn: Kristen Wiig.Whitney: Linda Carter, the OG wonder woman, she is super tall and fights crime! Or now that I’m 43 people keep asking me if I’m Michelle Pfeiffer, who is 60. So, despite the age delta I’ll take it ANY DAY.

One thing Brooklyn taught me about style…

Brooke says she likes it when I dress in one color and clean lines...but I think I may have done that once. So I need more direction.

One thing Whitney taught me about style…

Whit always wants me to glam it up. So I do the exact opposite. Sometimes we are polar opposites in the way we dress. I’ll be in overalls and she’s in a dress and heels and when I do glam she somehow ends up in jeans and a t-shirt.